Announcing our 2025 Gala Award Recipients!
We are proud to announce the recipients of two distinguished honors to be presented at The Fenway Gala 2025—an evening dedicated to celebrating queer joy, resilience, and the pursuit of justice.
🌟 The Catalyst Award:
Chase Strangio
The Catalyst Award recognizes leaders whose work sparks transformative change for LGBTQIA+ communities and other underserved groups. This year, we are honored to present the award to Chase Strangio, Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project and a nationally recognized expert on transgender rights.
In 2024, Chase made history as the first openly transgender person to deliver oral arguments before the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Skrmetti—a landmark case with profound implications for healthcare access. His tireless advocacy continues to inspire solidarity, amplify community voices, and advance equity nationwide.
Chase Strangio
🛡️ Heroes in Action Award:
Representative Aaron Michlewitz
Fenway Health is also proud to reintroduce the Heroes in Action Award, originally established by the AIDS Action Committee in 2010, to honor visionary public health leaders and steadfast allies.
This year’s honoree, Massachusetts Representative Aaron Michlewitz, has demonstrated unwavering commitment to health equity. As Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, he secured critical state-level funding for gender-affirming care and championed a nearly 10% increase in HIV/AIDS/Hepatitis C funding in the FY26 budget—bringing it to $35 million to address rising diagnoses and persistent disparities.
Representative Michlewitz’s leadership exemplifies the courage and compassion that define a true Hero in Action.
